Congratulations! If you are reading this then you likely are the owner of a brand new baby kitten. When you get a new kitten everything can be confusing and overwhelming but it is also a very exciting time! Don’t worry we’ve got you. Here are 10 Tips for your new kitten for the first 10 days.
1) Provide proper food
It is very important when you get a new kitten that you provide them with the proper type of food. That specifically, is kitten food. You might think that you can just use any old cat food from the grocery store, or even think you can use human food for your new friend, but you really don’t want to do this. Kittens require special food that is high in nutrients to properly grow into a healthy cat. Although you may wish to feed your cat a naturopathic diet, later on, you should probably wait on that for your new kitten.
2) Do not use your hands or feet as play toys
During the first few weeks, your kitten will likely want to attack everything that moves, that includes your hands and feet. You want to redirect their attention to any kind of cat toy that you have laying around. When your kitten is this tiny, when they playfully bite your hand it probably won’t be too painful, but when that kitten gets bigger you will regret letting them chomp on your toes. Start early with the proper format and if you notice your kitten attacking your hand or feet, just redirect them to the nearest pole toy or stuffed mouse.
3) Pick up and pet your cat regularly
It is very important before 20 weeks that you pick up your kitten and pet them often. This will allow them to understand that humans are friends, and petting is fun. The kitten may appear skitterish at first, but do not give up, this is the time for you to focus on getting the kitten used to human contact.
4) Introduce your cat to loud sounds around the house
Unless you want to have to lock your cat up each time you bring out the vacuum, now is also the time to slowly get them used to various loud noises that are part of your household. If you have a surround sound system or a noisy blender, make sure your kitten gets used to these items before it develops a fear of them later on. Try to make sure the kitten is relaxed and perhaps near a human who can comfort them if they should fear but do not shy away from using these devices at home.
5) Keep your kitten in one area
When you first bring your kitten home, you want to have a small area set aside for them to get comfortable. Although you might think letting your cat have free reign of the house is a good idea, it isn’t. Kittens can get stressed out if they are exposed to too much space at once.
Instead, pick a room like your bedroom or bathroom, and set up a mini house for them in that location. Include a litter box, food, water, and a bed area. You also want to include some toys. When you bring your cat home, bring them to this location and allow them to come out and into this smaller area on their own terms.
6) Socialize your new Kitten
Take the time to invite friends over to meet your new kitten. The more humans the kitten comes into contact with the better they will be when they get older with new strangers stopping by. We all know those cats who growl at every human they meet except their owner. If you want to make sure that your kitten is not one of them, then make sure they meet new people who play, pet and pick them up if they are comfortable with it.
7)Bring Your Kitten To the Vet
It is important to bring your new kitten to the vet for their first check-up. This will check your new kitten for parasites, fleas, and any other medical issues as well as set up the proper schedule for their booster. It also is a good idea to get started on your vet relationship right away!
8) Buy Good Kitten Food and Try and Use What They Were Eating Before
You may think that you can just buy any old cat food and feed it to your new kitten, but that is not the case. Kittens have very sensitive stomachs. It is pretty likely to cause an upset stomach if you feed your kitten adult food or something they are not familiar with. It is best to try and feed them the same type of food that they were eating before you got them. If you don’t know, try feeding your kitten a small amount of food and seeing how they feel.
9) Make Sure Your Kitten is Drinking Water
Some cat’s really don’t like to drink water. You should start encouraging this behavior at an early age. You can purchase a free-flowing water fountain to encourage your cat to drink water. If not, make sure you change the kitten’s water bowl more than once a day so it remains fresh and your kitten stays hydrated.
10)Invest in a Good Scratching Post
Cats really love to stretch out and scratch their nails. If you don’t provide a nice scratching post for your kitten when they are young, they will learn to use your couch, curtains and rugs to scratch instead. Save your furniture and get a high-quality scratching post in the first 10 days. Whenever you see your kitten using the scratching post, be sure to offer lots of encouragement, pets and treats.
Conclusion 10 Tips for your new kitten for the first 10 days
When you first bring home a new kitten it can seem very overwhelming. We hope that these 10 tips help you to get comfortable with having your new kitten friend.